DO NOT POST UNTIL YOU SIGN THE RULES.
1. No bullying. If you are caught bullying, you will be permanently banned on your first offense. We have a zero tolerance policy.
2. Type intelligently. Honest mistakes (and typos) are okay. But wen u typ liek dis - no one can understand you. It doesn't take much effort. If English is not your first language, we understand. However, please try to use punctuation and full words.
3. Do not post large pictures, gifs, or videos. I don't mind pictures as long as they do not stretch your post. Please make sure it complies with TOS and stays within the boundaries of the post. If it does not, I will come into your post and remove the media. No pictures of cutting or other harmful behavior.
4. Post "Trigger Warning". If your topic may have content that will act as a trigger for trauma, depression, or suicidal thoughts in others... We ask that you please post "Trigger Warning" in your title and at the top of your post. Trigger warnings may include: descriptions of traumatic events, descriptions of harmful behavior or drug abuse, or descriptions of negative emotions (for example, describing in detail how depression or other disorders make you feel, or dark descriptions of other emotions). A good rule of thumb? If you read it, would you start to feel the same thing and slip into depression, shock, PTSD, or the like? If so, post a trigger warning. THE ONLY PLACE THIS IS NOT NECESSARY IS IN THE SUICIDE HELP FORUMS.
5. Keep it PG-13. Just don't get too graphic.
6. Follow all TOS. These are the Gaia Terms of Service. If you do not follow them, we will be shut down.
7. Spoilers. If you go off on long rants, please put them in a spoiler to condense your post. That way others can see the problems you're coming to us with through all the rants and offer their advice, support, or sympathy. The only place you do not need to put your rants in a spoiler is in the Rant Forum. See next.
8. Follow proper posting procedure. Don't want advice? Post in the No Advice Needed Forum. Want to rant and don't really require feedback, just a space to vent? Post in the Rant Forum. Thoughts of suicide? Post in the Suicide Support Forum. General chat in the General Discussion Forum. Games in the upcoming Game Forum. All polls must be relevant to the topic with more than one choice. They must not be random or nonsensical. Do not abuse the poll feature. Everything has a place. Feel free to post as many times as you want and be sure to read the guidelines in each forum. They will be the first post at the top.
9. Religion. For the sake of everyone's peace of mind, we ask you to accept/tolerate all religions. You don't have to believe in them, but keep that to yourself and keep an open mind. We operate (for harmony's sake) under the rule that in this guild, ALL religions exist.
- If someone is [insert religion], welcome. We accept your beliefs and if we don't share them, we won't tell you that. We may inquire into what comfort your religion gives you or what it says on suicide, stress, fear, etc. to help you overcome what you're going through, but we will never put down your religion as wrong or fake, and we will never debate with you about it. You have the right to believe anything you want.
- No religious debates. No "religion is fake." No "your religion is wrong." No "my religion says this so you're going to Hell." No spouting religion at people when they don't ask for it. No random posts about your religion. No trying to convert people or trying to dissuade them from their beliefs.
10. Politics. NO. Unless it relates directly to your stress, depression, work life, etc. then we ask you not to bring up politics. No political debates. No political discussions outside how they relate to your personal problems. Keep polite. No bashing. I don't want to see how democrats/republicans/other political affiliations are trying to [insert thing here] and that's pissing you off or stressing you out.
11. The obvious. No encouraging people to self harm, harm others, or take their life. First offense is an immediate ban and a report to the Gaia staff. No promoting alcoholism or drug addiction. There may be a sub-forum at a later date for the discussion of marijuana and its effects on various conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, lupus, depression, etc. But only if there is enough demand for such discussion.
12. Reporting. To report, contact the Captain or a Vice Captain via PM. Post a link to the offense and a description of why it's being reported. The VC will message the Captain and discuss whether or not there was an offense. We will reply to you when a decision is made to let you know of the outcome. All reports are kept anonymous.
Please type "I [insert your name or username, whatever you go by] do so pledge to follow ALL of these guild rules. I understand that once I reach my FIRST warning, I risk being banned on my next offense. I deem these rules fair and will comply with them, as well as the Gaian TOS."
1. No bullying. If you are caught bullying, you will be permanently banned on your first offense. We have a zero tolerance policy.
2. Type intelligently. Honest mistakes (and typos) are okay. But wen u typ liek dis - no one can understand you. It doesn't take much effort. If English is not your first language, we understand. However, please try to use punctuation and full words.
3. Do not post large pictures, gifs, or videos. I don't mind pictures as long as they do not stretch your post. Please make sure it complies with TOS and stays within the boundaries of the post. If it does not, I will come into your post and remove the media. No pictures of cutting or other harmful behavior.
4. Post "Trigger Warning". If your topic may have content that will act as a trigger for trauma, depression, or suicidal thoughts in others... We ask that you please post "Trigger Warning" in your title and at the top of your post. Trigger warnings may include: descriptions of traumatic events, descriptions of harmful behavior or drug abuse, or descriptions of negative emotions (for example, describing in detail how depression or other disorders make you feel, or dark descriptions of other emotions). A good rule of thumb? If you read it, would you start to feel the same thing and slip into depression, shock, PTSD, or the like? If so, post a trigger warning. THE ONLY PLACE THIS IS NOT NECESSARY IS IN THE SUICIDE HELP FORUMS.
5. Keep it PG-13. Just don't get too graphic.
6. Follow all TOS. These are the Gaia Terms of Service. If you do not follow them, we will be shut down.
7. Spoilers. If you go off on long rants, please put them in a spoiler to condense your post. That way others can see the problems you're coming to us with through all the rants and offer their advice, support, or sympathy. The only place you do not need to put your rants in a spoiler is in the Rant Forum. See next.
8. Follow proper posting procedure. Don't want advice? Post in the No Advice Needed Forum. Want to rant and don't really require feedback, just a space to vent? Post in the Rant Forum. Thoughts of suicide? Post in the Suicide Support Forum. General chat in the General Discussion Forum. Games in the upcoming Game Forum. All polls must be relevant to the topic with more than one choice. They must not be random or nonsensical. Do not abuse the poll feature. Everything has a place. Feel free to post as many times as you want and be sure to read the guidelines in each forum. They will be the first post at the top.
9. Religion. For the sake of everyone's peace of mind, we ask you to accept/tolerate all religions. You don't have to believe in them, but keep that to yourself and keep an open mind. We operate (for harmony's sake) under the rule that in this guild, ALL religions exist.
- If someone is [insert religion], welcome. We accept your beliefs and if we don't share them, we won't tell you that. We may inquire into what comfort your religion gives you or what it says on suicide, stress, fear, etc. to help you overcome what you're going through, but we will never put down your religion as wrong or fake, and we will never debate with you about it. You have the right to believe anything you want.
- No religious debates. No "religion is fake." No "your religion is wrong." No "my religion says this so you're going to Hell." No spouting religion at people when they don't ask for it. No random posts about your religion. No trying to convert people or trying to dissuade them from their beliefs.
10. Politics. NO. Unless it relates directly to your stress, depression, work life, etc. then we ask you not to bring up politics. No political debates. No political discussions outside how they relate to your personal problems. Keep polite. No bashing. I don't want to see how democrats/republicans/other political affiliations are trying to [insert thing here] and that's pissing you off or stressing you out.
11. The obvious. No encouraging people to self harm, harm others, or take their life. First offense is an immediate ban and a report to the Gaia staff. No promoting alcoholism or drug addiction. There may be a sub-forum at a later date for the discussion of marijuana and its effects on various conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, lupus, depression, etc. But only if there is enough demand for such discussion.
12. Reporting. To report, contact the Captain or a Vice Captain via PM. Post a link to the offense and a description of why it's being reported. The VC will message the Captain and discuss whether or not there was an offense. We will reply to you when a decision is made to let you know of the outcome. All reports are kept anonymous.
Please type "I [insert your name or username, whatever you go by] do so pledge to follow ALL of these guild rules. I understand that once I reach my FIRST warning, I risk being banned on my next offense. I deem these rules fair and will comply with them, as well as the Gaian TOS."
